Kent State is expanding the university in many different ways. The construction for the new Architecture and Environmental Design building is currently underway. One issue is starting to raise concern among current and future students. Zachary Downes reports.

[bbrvideo width=”475″]BBR_S1_DOWNES_PARKINGGARAGE[/bbrvideo]

Kent State’s campus is expanding in many different ways. The university is adding a new state of the art facility with one major flaw.

 

The new Architecture and Environmental Design building will be located on the new Lestor Lefton Esplanade Expansion. Due to the lack of space, there will not be direct parking accessibility for the building.

 

Associate Vice President of Facilities Planning and Operations Tom Euclide said that there would be a small area designated for handicapped parking and student pick up and drop off.

 

The closest student parking option to the new building would be C-Midway, C-Schwartz, and the PARTA Parking Garage in Downtown Kent.

 

Parking Service Manager Larry Emling said that PARTA has established a contract Parking Services so that Kent Students can purchase a parking permit for the downtown-parking garage.

 

One problem with the permit is that it is only valid between 6:30 am to 5:30 pm Monday thru Friday.

 

Students in the architecture program are expected to be in the studio, working on projects passed 5:30 pm and sometimes on the weekends.

 

PARTA Manager of Operations and Information Technology Joseph Yensel said that students are not be able to park in the parking garage passed 5:30 on the weekdays. Students are also not able to access the parking garage on the weekends, they will have to pay normal fees.

If a student is trying to leave or enter the parking garage outside of the given time slot, they will not be able to leave or enter the parking garage. They will have to seek assistance from a parking garage attendant.

With the construction underway, students will not have many choices to park their cars near the new building.